CINCINNATI — A recent series of large group disturbances and attacks inside the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center injured an undisclosed number of residents and staff, according to juvenile court records.
Andrae Jones, deputy director of housing at the youth center, filed motions Tuesday to transfer four alleged attackers to the Hamilton County Justice Center. He also filed a motion to transfer a fifth youth to the custody of the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
The assaults happened April 27-29, according to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
On April 27, a 16-year-old resident "was observed starting a code red (large group disturbance) by assaulting residents in the living area," Jones wrote in one motion. In his motions, Jones described the teen's behavior and mentioned how the conduct created an "unsafe environment" for staff and residents.
The next day, a youth serving a 30-month sentence "participated in a large group disturbance that threatened the safety and security of the Youth Center, staff, and other residents," Jones wrote in a motion.
Jones wrote that the youth "is gang involved, and the increasing behaviors may be gang-related."
"I am not going to allow staff and other kids to continue to be attacked," Hamilton County Juvenile Court Administrative Judge Kari Bloom said in court on Wednesday. "The court has a hard enough time maintaining staff members who want to work at 2020 (Auburn Avenue) without the threat of emergency room visits every night."
Bloom said she has the legal authority to transfer juvenile offenders to an adult facility if they're threatening security and creating unsafe conditions at the youth center.
"The state believes that the court doesn't have the ability to move any of the children to the Justice Center," Hamilton County Asst. Prosecutor Kate Buffington told the judge during a hearing for one of the youth.
After that, Bloom spoke directly to the youth.
"If there is an issue at 2020 tonight and if another staff member is harmed, I'm going to tell them to take you to the Justice Center and wait for the hearing," Bloom told him.
Then, Buffington spoke directly to the judge.
"If anything does happen tonight — praying that it does not happen — the state would object to them being moved, especially without a hearing on that matter," Buffington told the judge.
"The state and its ulterior motives and decision-making can file a suit against me if that happens," Bloom responded.
The judge did not explain what she meant by "ulterior" motives and decisions.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors objected to holding the hearings today because they said they hadn't been able to review evidence in their cases.
Bloom told defense attorneys and prosecutors they would be able to pick up evidence, including Youth Center surveillance video showing the incidents.
But there will be only one night to review it.
The hearings are scheduled for Thursday.
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